Develop Bugs

DBA "Just Like Glass®" Screen Protector - ZAGG Killer?

DBA is a lesser-known company specializing in phone cases and screen protectors. One of their newer products, the "Just Like Glass®" screen protector promises to be the best screen protector you'll ever have.
Here's what Scott of DBA has to say about the screen protector:
We also had an independent third party test directly against ZAGG and destroyed them.
Testing with Laser Beams for distortion, regular glass of course had 0, Just Like Glass had 11.50, and Zagg had 666.
ZAGG doesn't even claim to increase the break resistance of the glass while ours has tested for an increase of near 40%.
In a wear test equivalent to putting it in and out of your pocket ZAGG showed wear after 345 times and our showed no wear even after 10,000.
ZAGG is more scratch resistant but at the cost of creating the distortion. And the difference isn't that great.
Just like glass screen protectors are stain proof. You can get makeup on the, dirt, oil, dye, etc... and you can wipe it off. ZAGG you can't. I personally tested ours with a black sharpie (not really the best decision looking back on it) and it did come off with a little elbow grease.
As far as being smoother than glass, if you use glass as the baseline Just Like Glass is 20% smoother while ZAGG was -147%. You can really feel it.
Ours don't have the orange peel effect that ZAGG does.
I wouldn't be doing this at all if I didn't have something that I would use and that was better than everything else.
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Click to collapse
It's a wet-application (like ZAGG), but the included application kit makes it easy. This protector covers the viewing area, allowing it to work with cases perfectly.
It looks very promising and costs only $13.50 (by comparison, the ZAGG protector is $14.99).
Here's the site: DBA "Just Like Glass®"

I had a heck of a time getting it out of the plastic and in the process it got dimples from trying to pull it out. I contacted them to see if they will get a replacement sent out what a bad experience because they decided to make the plastic bag it comes in too damn tight with no leeway at all. The other con I noticed is it says to use a hard card but it does not come with one so I used the squeeze I have from Skinomi that I used on the Transformer Prime tablet.
Now I do have to admit it does feel like glass and not the soft rubbery feel I am use to with my mothers Skinomi. I always hate how the Skinomi drags on the tablet but this no drag at all. I will let you know how customer support is like after contacting them for a replacement for this one that got dimpled getting it out of the too tight plastic bag. Next time I will use a knife to cut the bag instead of trying to pull it out.
Oh and one more thing no sensitivity decrease at all that I can tell. I will try to get some pictures of it with my mothers camera to post but just to let you know it just a few mm larger than the screen so only covers the screen so great for cases.
I also tested the permanent marker on a piece of the excess plastic that I pulled it from and the marker after drying wiped right off so definitely appears to hold up to the claim of stain proof.

I guarantee you they will have issues calling it glass. You guys have no idea how dumb people are when it comes to these things.

Now I'm curious.

How was the fit on the screen? Full to the edge coverage? Custom cutouts or just a chunk cut out?

I'm interested in this. Anyone else who bought willing to share?

Ok here is the pictures I promised. BTW I was not able to attach the pictures here got a security token was missing error.. any idea why? I was only able to attach picture by uploading from a picture site like Photobucket. Anyways I think I did a pretty good job of these pictures and you will see the 3 blemishes/dimples I caused pulling the protector out of the plastic but it came out better than I thought it would for only my second wet application install.
The fit is just about 1-2 mm larger than the screen so it only covers the screen and really works well with my case. The case is quite narrow for one with a kickstand and been very happy with the $10 purchase for it.

pmoradi2002 said:
I guarantee you they will have issues calling it glass. You guys have no idea how dumb people are when it comes to these things.
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Click to collapse
Everyone in every retail setting will tell you customers are dumb. Letting those customers know on a forum is a bad thing for your business.

From the DBA website, it appears that this is a fairly new company; a start-up by one individual. Do we have any independent evaluation of his claims regarding his screen protector and cases?

So this only covers the screen area and not the full frontal glass?

kuratsu said:
So this only covers the screen area and not the full frontal glass?
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Click to collapse
Yes just like the pictures show. You can see the edges on the top down view of the phone. It's the area I was worried about and it is not rubbery or tacky like on my mothers Skinomi.

Century21J said:
:good:
I'm guessing that's what the other guy did for spectre?
this looks promising. the thing i hate about wet application is the tacky feel to it. but if this promises to be "just like glass", might be worth trying it out.
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Click to collapse
Yeah it's not a bad price and definitely not rubbery/tacky at all. BTW if you have any other questions on it let me know I'll answer to the best of my knowledge this was my first actual review so hope I covered all the bases in what was important to know Hope it was useful to you all.

Just Like Glass Screen Protectors
Hey all,
I'm not really new but I tend to post on other forums. I come here for the good stuff on rooting.
I'm the CEO of DBA Cases, Inc.
I did start the company, however I had several investors. After having an Original Droid, a Bionic, and a Galaxy Nexus I had a very good idea of what people liked.
Personally I hated screen protectors and was not going to sell one until we came up with this. I have it on my phone and love it. It protects against breaks as well - my photographer asked me why I went into making cases so I took the phone out of the case and it squirted out of my hand - hit the wall and then our tile floor. No damage at all to the phone but a very small micro scratch on the Just Like Glass Protector. It probably would have shattered. I've found that the most you can do is give it micro scratches - you can't feel them or see them with the screen on. That's what I got from the fall and it doesn't bother me at all.
I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Scott

molitar said:
Nice idea but I can not buy any case without a kickstand I watch alot of videos on mine.
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Click to collapse
I completely understand. I wanted to put a kickstand on the Ultra but it would have been too bulky. Also the cost of adding a kickstand is nearly the same amount as making the mold for the case.
I have a different solution I use.
I'm planning on making my own stand but I have them wherever I may need it.
---------- Post added at 10:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:30 PM ----------
While I'm taking pictures...
The Ultra and the Thin Grip
Please ignore the mess behind them.

The case does not look that much skinnier than the Amaze I am using which does have a kickstand.

Promising
Looks pretty cool. How does it keep your screen safe? doest it last well?

SSHGuru said:
How can you tell how thin the cases are from my picture
Stands must be made out of polycarbonate or abs in order to hold the case up. That means some bulk. It doesn't have to be a ton but I looked into a ton of stands and didn't decide to do it.
I wanted to - in fact I was going to make a stand of the same material they use in snap watches would would be made of TPU. Press a button and the stand comes out and can bend.
Problem is that it increases the cost of the case by at least $10,000. In fact I was talking to the CEO of another case company last week and he said it took three molds to make his stand. That's a ton of money.
Since I had a budget I decided to do without - some day.
Both of my cases could not be any thinner than they are.
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I was looking at the depth where the camera lens is. Yes it is a thinner but I was just commenting not that much thinner considering that the Amaze is a bit thicker with the kickstand. I really am impressed how thin the Amaze is with a kickstand as most are bulky considerably with a kickstand. The sides look the same almost in width as yours but the back is probably about twice as thick as yours due to the kickstand. It may not be a very strong kickstand but strong enough for regular use as long as don't drop it with it out as it has the really skinny piece of support plastic that holds it open the other part of the kickstand is quite thick. The stand itself is about 2mm thick and the plastic support is only I would say about 1mm thick.
Now the screwdriver portion was not that impressive as there is no way to tell how much force is being used each time. But the screwdriver and rotary was quite impressive as there was no getting around how hard the screen was being hit by that key. The only thing I notice is the oil from my hands tends to smudge the screen more than the glass but for the protection I can live with that but would be nice if they found a way to eliminate some of the smudges with it. Other than that really happy with the screen and registering on the site for the replacement so I can get this one replaced without the 4 dimple spots. BTW a video installing it would be a good idea I used the shower method in bathroom for dust and lint.

molitar said:
I was looking at the depth where the camera lens is. Yes it is a thinner but I was just commenting not that much thinner considering that the Amaze is a bit thicker with the kickstand. I really am impressed how thin the Amaze is with a kickstand as most are bulky considerably with a kickstand. The sides look the same almost in width as yours but the back is probably about twice as thick as yours due to the kickstand. It may not be a very strong kickstand but strong enough for regular use as long as don't drop it with it out as it has the really skinny piece of support plastic that holds it open the other part of the kickstand is quite thick. The stand itself is about 2mm thick and the plastic support is only I would say about 1mm thick.
Now the screwdriver portion was not that impressive as there is no way to tell how much force is being used each time. But the screwdriver and rotary was quite impressive as there was no getting around how hard the screen was being hit by that key. The only thing I notice is the oil from my hands tends to smudge the screen more than the glass but for the protection I can live with that but would be nice if they found a way to eliminate some of the smudges with it. Other than that really happy with the screen and registering on the site for the replacement so I can get this one replaced without the 4 dimple spots. BTW a video installing it would be a good idea I used the shower method in bathroom for dust and lint.
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Click to collapse
We are going to do a video soon for installing but the instructions on the site are the newest versions. Doing it in the shower is the safest method but if I suggest it people probably will freak out about how hard it is when it's really pretty easy.
In the video that was a glass puncher. I know it's hard to tell how hard it's being pushed but it's the same force. One is done on the film which stops the force and one on the glass which does not. The key test was pretty intense and then taking the rotary to it was cool. (if people are wondering it's on the Facebook page).
Samsung with the Galaxy Nexus and the S3 have made great glass that doesn't pick up prints. The one irritation about the protector I have is that it does. Not terribly but I'm used to not worrying about it. We are working on a way to get rid of the micro scratches and the fingerprints. The problem is if we add a layer it makes it feel more plastic and ruins the visibility. It has to be a chemistry solution and I didn't take chemistry in college so I just ask them to try...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151389828738942

I wonder how these screen protectors compare to the ZAGG EXTREME

Any slim cases out there that "square off" the sides?

I dislike the way the edges of the phone are angled toward the front face - I'd much prefer them to be just flat and squared off to the front and back (like the iphone). Are there any cases that give you this feel - at least to some extent? It'd also be nice if it flattened out the "convexity" of the back too. Anything that might increase tactile feel/responsiveness of the standard buttons is a bonus.
I'm currently learning toward the Diztronic TPU case.
Any thoughts?

I have the diztronic and it's a good case, was my go-to case for the last little while. Because the material is not slippery and it's a slightly bulkier case, you don't notice the convexity of the back. The phone is pretty "stable" as a result when it's on a flat surface. Regarding the sides, it's a border of sorts with a small ridge in the case between the sides and the back. This will probably give you the feeling of the sides being squared off.

@Neon01 ... I'm sorry for asking this but why did you bought this phone if you do not like at all the construction ?

icepixie said:
I have the diztronic and it's a good case, was my go-to case for the last little while. Because the material is not slippery and it's a slightly bulkier case, you don't notice the convexity of the back. The phone is pretty "stable" as a result when it's on a flat surface. Regarding the sides, it's a border of sorts with a small ridge in the case between the sides and the back. This will probably give you the feeling of the sides being squared off.
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Click to collapse
Thanks, that sounds perfect.
ro_explorer said:
@Neon01 ... I'm sorry for asking this but why did you bought this phone if you do not like at all the construction ?
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Click to collapse
Who said I didn't like the construction? It's the only Android ever sold (from what I can tell) with iphone build quality (or better). I'm not enough of a fanboy of any product not to call out bad ergos when I feel them. The chamfered edges of the One are atrocious. I hated them on the One X, and I hate them on the One. They're angled the wrong way, IMO, but just squared off would be best. The back is not really as much of an ergo thing, but it gives the phone a weird thicker feel. It doesn't help that (with no case), when set down, the center of gravity is directly over the camera glass due to the convexity. These aspects aren't enough to drive me away from what I otherwise consider to be a phenomenal phone, but I'll try to minimize them where I can.

Well ... I find the ergonomics of the phone excellent and I have no complain about the angles of the edges .. on the contrary, I like the feel in the hand.

Check my post on page 190 second from the top, I have a case that has an flat back like you want. It does add some bulk because it builds up the edges to be flat but I love the case and feels great. Hope it helps!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2171713&page=190

Unicorn Beetle case vs the Cyclops case?

Cyclops case
http://www.tridentcase.com/shop-pro.../cyclops-case-samsung-galaxy-s-iv-active.aspx
Unicorn Beetle Case
http://www.amazon.com/SUPCASE-Samsung-Galaxy-Active-Unicorn/dp/B00DY5UVK2
Has anyone tried these out?
What I am really looking for is a case that adds some extra waterproofing and a bike mount so that I can use the phone on my bike as a bike computer.

Buzz_Litebeer said:
Cyclops case
http://www.tridentcase.com/shop-pro.../cyclops-case-samsung-galaxy-s-iv-active.aspx
Unicorn Beetle Case
http://www.amazon.com/SUPCASE-Samsung-Galaxy-Active-Unicorn/dp/B00DY5UVK2
Has anyone tried these out?
What I am really looking for is a case that adds some extra waterproofing and a bike mount so that I can use the phone on my bike as a bike computer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own two of the Unicorn Beetle Cases, and had the Cyclops in my hands for a few minutes since my friend has one. I didn't like the Cyclops since it feels too "mushy" for my taste, but I'd say it *definitely* will offer more drop & rain protection if that is what you are looking for. I've never dropped a phone (knock on wood) and really just wanted a nice looking scratch protector type of case that is not too bulky, and the Beetle is great for that, but I don't think it would fare very well if it fell from a moving bike...

I ordered the black/yellow Unicorn Beetle, should be in a few days even thought it's a bit ridiculous: the tracking info showed it shipped from Memphis TN then to Phoenix AZ and then to Compton CA which basically means they leaped clear over Las Vegas NV in the process instead of just drop-shipping it here, go figure. I mean I know we're north of that route by a margin but even so, shipping companies (apparently this is coming by DHL) just can't seem to be efficient at all sometimes.
Anyway, once it arrives I'll post my opinions and thoughts on it but as stated it probably won't get here till Monday at the earliest.
But I can always hope...

Ok, got my Unicorn Beetle case and I absolutely love it - I chose the black/yellow color combination. A near-perfect fit (will explain that in a moment), gives the phone a really solid feel, not that it doesn't feel that way already but the additional weight and size just adds a bit more "uNF" to the overall heft of carrying the GS4A.
Now, about the near-perfect fit in my situation - I'm not saying this will be the same for everyone else but it was for me and I'll explain my "fix" for it as well.
When I first put the Beetle case on I loved it right at that moment, but after a few more moments I began to realize that the extremely snug fit was causing a problem: the power button was so "tight" it literally was acting like a touch-sensitive control just like the screen is. I mean it: I could just touch that side "bump" on the case and the power would go on and off with nary any pressure whatsoever. There was literally no space whatsoever and the power button section of the case was not only constantly touching the power button but pushing on it so it was like a micron or whatever away from making contact.
That wasn't going to work.
I removed the case and looked into the inner area where the power button of the GS4A makes contact with the case and noted there was a tiny "bump" added, probably with the intention of making sure the contact was made with the power button. Problem is that tiny plastic "bump" or hump or whatever you or the case maker might call it is/was about 0.5mm tall, give or take a tenth of a millimeter, so I took a razor blade and bent the side of the case (the grey rubber-like material, not the hard yellow plastic) enough so that I could shave - for lack of a better term - that little bump or hump so it was totally gone and the entire area inside the power button on the case was flush and flat.
Put the GS4A back in the now modded case and voila, not only was that issue taken care of in a few seconds but now there's a small amount of space between the physical button and the case portion that covers it - when I press in I can feel the rubberized grey plastic actually give just a bit, and I can feel the power button click physically as it does when it's "naked" and case free.
But, then I noticed that the volume buttons - the Volume Up button specifically - were doing exactly the same thing so, I removed the GS4A from the case again - I didn't check it for that little "bump" of extra material the first time because I wasn't having any problems with the volume at first.
Anyway, looking into the area inside the case on the volume buttons I noted another similar "bump" of extra material, one for each specific button (Up/Down) but this little bump was maybe 1/4th as thick as the one on the power button side was. I mean literally this was like a sheet of notebook paper thick while the power button bump was 4 or 5, big difference.
I did the razor shave thing on the volume button side and...
I am happy to report this case is pretty much perfect for me now.
The little mods I did took seconds but now the power and the volume buttons are working as expected, with just a tiny very tiny amount of spacing between how tight they were to now having that give that I notice when I press the buttons, I can feel them being pushed and get the click whereas with the case in original condition the buttons themselves felt rock solid with no give at all, and now we know why.
So, I'd give this case a 9.9 easy (there are no 10's, in anything), and would order another one without hesitation if I had a second GS4A. I'm a large guy (6'6" tall) and I have somewhat large hands, not gargantuan ones or anything, but whereas before with the bare GS4A feeling solid in my hand, with the Unicorn Beetle case on it, I feel like I could hold it while punching a hole in a brick wall or something and not think twice about it. The added ridges and nubs along the sides just kind of fit the size of my hand and the insides of my fingers when I grasp it, well, as perfectly as I could have expected.
Also, the cutout where the camera lens and LED flash are located has a huge spacing now, almost an 1/8th of an inch so you probably won't end up having to clean the lens nearly as often because of potential finger/palm prints on it. Helps a lot when it's laying on the backside as well.
If you want a solid case that looks great (my opinion of course), is fairly cheap in price (paid $9 + shipping = $14.99 for mine and worth every cent at this moment), the Unicorn Beetle for the Galaxy S4 Active is highly recommended.
(only camera I have presently is the one - two actually - in the GS4A so I have no pics to share, if you've seen the pics of the case then you pretty see what it really is)
Disclaimer: while the mod that I did - shaving off a half millimeter of excess plastic inside the inner area of the case where the buttons are located - has made it near-perfect for me and my use, minor manufacturing differences could mean that someone else using the same case (unmodded) might not have such incredibly close/tight tolerances as mine did, so YMMV. I just figured I'd spill my guts about my direct first-hand experience with the case and what I did to make it that much better. If you wish to do the mod that I did, just be careful with any sharp cutting tools you may choose to get it done.

Is the Unicorn beetle a rubberized case (IE if dropped will it help protect the screen from damage?)
br0adband said:
Ok, got my Unicorn Beetle case and I absolutely love it - I chose the black/yellow color combination. A near-perfect fit (will explain that in a moment), gives the phone a really solid feel, not that it doesn't feel that way already but the additional weight and size just adds a bit more "uNF" to the overall heft of carrying the GS4A.
Now, about the near-perfect fit in my situation - I'm not saying this will be the same for everyone else but it was for me and I'll explain my "fix" for it as well.
When I first put the Beetle case on I loved it right at that moment, but after a few more moments I began to realize that the extremely snug fit was causing a problem: the power button was so "tight" it literally was acting like a touch-sensitive control just like the screen is. I mean it: I could just touch that side "bump" on the case and the power would go on and off with nary any pressure whatsoever. There was literally no space whatsoever and the power button section of the case was not only constantly touching the power button but pushing on it so it was like a micron or whatever away from making contact.
That wasn't going to work.
I removed the case and looked into the inner area where the power button of the GS4A makes contact with the case and noted there was a tiny "bump" added, probably with the intention of making sure the contact was made with the power button. Problem is that tiny plastic "bump" or hump or whatever you or the case maker might call it is/was about 0.5mm tall, give or take a tenth of a millimeter, so I took a razor blade and bent the side of the case (the grey rubber-like material, not the hard yellow plastic) enough so that I could shave - for lack of a better term - that little bump or hump so it was totally gone and the entire area inside the power button on the case was flush and flat.
Put the GS4A back in the now modded case and voila, not only was that issue taken care of in a few seconds but now there's a small amount of space between the physical button and the case portion that covers it - when I press in I can feel the rubberized grey plastic actually give just a bit, and I can feel the power button click physically as it does when it's "naked" and case free.
But, then I noticed that the volume buttons - the Volume Up button specifically - were doing exactly the same thing so, I removed the GS4A from the case again - I didn't check it for that little "bump" of extra material the first time because I wasn't having any problems with the volume at first.
Anyway, looking into the area inside the case on the volume buttons I noted another similar "bump" of extra material, one for each specific button (Up/Down) but this little bump was maybe 1/4th as thick as the one on the power button side was. I mean literally this was like a sheet of notebook paper thick while the power button bump was 4 or 5, big difference.
I did the razor shave thing on the volume button side and...
I am happy to report this case is pretty much perfect for me now.
The little mods I did took seconds but now the power and the volume buttons are working as expected, with just a tiny very tiny amount of spacing between how tight they were to now having that give that I notice when I press the buttons, I can feel them being pushed and get the click whereas with the case in original condition the buttons themselves felt rock solid with no give at all, and now we know why.
So, I'd give this case a 9.9 easy (there are no 10's, in anything), and would order another one without hesitation if I had a second GS4A. I'm a large guy (6'6" tall) and I have somewhat large hands, not gargantuan ones or anything, but whereas before with the bare GS4A feeling solid in my hand, with the Unicorn Beetle case on it, I feel like I could hold it while punching a hole in a brick wall or something and not think twice about it. The added ridges and nubs along the sides just kind of fit the size of my hand and the insides of my fingers when I grasp it, well, as perfectly as I could have expected.
Also, the cutout where the camera lens and LED flash are located has a huge spacing now, almost an 1/8th of an inch so you probably won't end up having to clean the lens nearly as often because of potential finger/palm prints on it. Helps a lot when it's laying on the backside as well.
If you want a solid case that looks great (my opinion of course), is fairly cheap in price (paid $9 + shipping = $14.99 for mine and worth every cent at this moment), the Unicorn Beetle for the Galaxy S4 Active is highly recommended.
(only camera I have presently is the one - two actually - in the GS4A so I have no pics to share, if you've seen the pics of the case then you pretty see what it really is)
Disclaimer: while the mod that I did - shaving off a half millimeter of excess plastic inside the inner area of the case where the buttons are located - has made it near-perfect for me and my use, minor manufacturing differences could mean that someone else using the same case (unmodded) might not have such incredibly close/tight tolerances as mine did, so YMMV. I just figured I'd spill my guts about my direct first-hand experience with the case and what I did to make it that much better. If you wish to do the mod that I did, just be careful with any sharp cutting tools you may choose to get it done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Buzz_Litebeer said:
Is the Unicorn beetle a rubberized case (IE if dropped will it help protect the screen from damage?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With mine, which I now realize isn't black/yellow at all but a very dark gray/yellow combo, the yellow part of the case is plastic, plain and simple - a tap of the finger or a pen will tell you that. But the gray portion is some kind of rubberized or rubber-like material that has a minor amount of flex to it, some give, some take.
I see people grabbing similar cases that have cutouts (large ones) for the volume and power buttons and personally I can't stand those kinds of cases myself. If I'm buying something to protect the device I want as much as possible of the device body/surface protected to the maximum potential, and given this one does that extremely well it's why I give it high marks as I did.
I don't consider this case to be "shock-proof" in any respects since it's such a tight fit. It's not like the Otterbox Defender for the GS4A (now available but of course insanely costly considering it's a case) which is a rubberized inner case with the harder outer shell that does provide some level of shock-resistance.
As my GS4A already has a cracked digitizer (that still functions without any dead spots or zones), I'm damned sure not intending to drop it at any time 'cause if that happens I'm pretty confident I'll kill it by doing so.
So to clarify: the Unicorn Beetle case is hard plastic on the very backside which melds into the slightly softer and very slightly more flexible sides. If it was entirely made of the harder plastic material it would probably require being in two parts or else you wouldn't be able to get the phone into the case at all.

I have both...
I have both the unicorn beetle and the trident cyclops and I have to say I prefer this case over both. I cant post links, so just search for this: black perforated net hybrid galaxy s4 active - on eBay and it'll pop right up. It has a better feel in my hand and it seems to provide more protection than the unicorn beetle, though admittedly not more than the cyclops. Funny, this one is cheaper than both and I liked it better. The perforated part is a rubberized hard material, and the inner shell is silicone. It also seems less bulky than both. Another reason I like it over the bulky cyclops trident case is that Im also using the bodyguardz tempered glass screen protector linked here. The plastic built in protector on the cyclops trident gets in the way.
Morgan

I am quite happy with the unicorn beetle case. I bought it a couple weeks ago because my bulky full-protection case wouldn't fit in my car dock, yet I still wanted protection and a TPU case anyway. Its been awesome ANYWAY just sayin.

br0adband said:
So to clarify: the Unicorn Beetle case is hard plastic on the very backside which melds into the slightly softer and very slightly more flexible sides. If it was entirely made of the harder plastic material it would probably require being in two parts or else you wouldn't be able to get the phone into the case at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the inside TPU or hard plastic? I ask because I want to buy the missus a new case (the Tudia TPU works good, but she needs a bit more protection; she doesn't know how to NOT drop phones ) but I've had bad luck with hard plastic cases scratching the crap out of phones and not actually protecting them when dropped. I had a S2 w/hard plastic shell and when dropped the stupid case would come apart! It scratched the crap out of the bezel as well, I definitely was not happy with it. I know it's a 1-piece case but I'd prefer to have TPU touching the phone on the insides, hard plastic is ok on the outside.
(Yes, I cleaned the case pretty regularly to keep dust/dirt out, it still scratched my phone more than it should have in a really short period of time)

Not sure what the difference is but the yellow portion on mine is hard plastic; the grey portions are a softer more flexible material so if that's what "TPU" is then there's your answer.

br0adband said:
Not sure what the difference is but the yellow portion on mine is hard plastic; the grey portions are a softer more flexible material so if that's what "TPU" is then there's your answer.
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Looking at the pics on Amazon it was hard to really tell if the inside is TPU or hard plastic (TPU is the flexible rubber, usually) but you answered my question! I prefer TPU over hard plastic as I said in the above question, I think it's pretty shock resistant after using one for several months on my Rugby Smart. If Seidio used that over the soft silicone or hard plastic I'd be a lot happier... TPU is the best of both IMO.

IMissPalmOS said:
I own two of the Unicorn Beetle Cases, and had the Cyclops in my hands for a few minutes since my friend has one. I didn't like the Cyclops since it feels too "mushy" for my taste, but I'd say it *definitely* will offer more drop & rain protection if that is what you are looking for. I've never dropped a phone (knock on wood) and really just wanted a nice looking scratch protector type of case that is not too bulky, and the Beetle is great for that, but I don't think it would fare very well if it fell from a moving bike...
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Is the back of the beatle case flat? I am thinking of getting it and putting a quad lock mount on it so i can put it on my bike.

Buzz_Litebeer said:
Is the back of the beatle case flat? I am thinking of getting it and putting a quad lock mount on it so i can put it on my bike.
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Not totally, no. The outer edge that looks glossy in photos is raised. The highest points are the middle portions on either side, raised about 1.5mm. Also the portion that has the SUPCASE logo in some pictures (but not in reality) is raised and textured a tiny bit.
EDIT: After looking at the quad lock in your other post, it looks like it would work fine with the beetle case. It is flat where you'd need it to be.

[Q] Metal band not metal?

Well, initially I received my phone and was so happy about the premium feel of the metal band surrounding the sides of the phone. Today I'm carefully looking at the quality and noticed that if you look inside any of the ports it appears the " metal" stops immediately after the surface and a hard, almost ceramic looking material is underneath. Anybody else notice this? Maybe they got really good at their "metallic finishes and found a very hard machinable plastic, because the more I look at that chamfored edge, the more it looks like chrome paint.

The whole phone itself is not made out of aluminum. There is a mix of other metals(magnesium) and plastics, along with an aluminum band around it. Also, aluminum itself is not shiny like the chamfered edge, and only shows as being shiny/mirror-like finish due to the machine cut.

iggibar said:
The whole phone itself is not made out of aluminum. There is a mix of other metals(magnesium) and plastics, along with an aluminum band around it. Also, aluminum itself is not shiny like the chamfered edge, and only shows as being shiny/mirror-like finish due to the machine cut.
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I would like to belive that but working in a machine shop I know what metal is. Unfortunately it's quite apparent that it's painted plastic if you look at the bottom of the phone where the sPen goes in. they smoothed the edge out and rubbed the paint off showing white plastic underneath. If there is metal there it's a paper this sheet of it. I'm afraid they have once again fauxed it up again. I do think it is a vastly improved look but still plastic.

mcaleer1 said:
I would like to belive that but working in a machine shop I know what metal is. Unfortunately it's quite apparent that it's painted plastic if you look at the bottom of the phone where the sPen goes in. they smoothed the edge out and rubbed the paint off showing white plastic underneath. If there is metal there it's a paper this sheet of it. I'm afraid they have once again fauxed it up again. I do think it is a vastly improved look but still plastic.
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Alright, here's the facts since you don't believe what I said:
The note 4 consists of 2 chassis-
-The first chassis is made of an aluminum-magnesium allow called magnalium(which also includes small traces of tin/copper/ nickel) and is used to mount the processors and other heat conducting hardware.
-The second chassis consists of plastic and has an aluminum band around the perimeter(the one you see from the exterior). This plastic chassis is mostly used as a scaffolding to hold any extra hardware/accessories(Spen) that do not conduct heat.
The magnalium gives it strength.
The plastic keeps it light.
The aluminum gives it looks.
I can't ask for a better combination.

iggibar said:
Alright, here's the facts since you don't believe what I said:
The note 4 consists of 2 chassis-
-The first chassis is made of an aluminum-magnesium allow called magnalium(which also includes small traces of tin/copper/ nickel) and is used to mount the processors and other heat conducting hardware.
-The second chassis consists of plastic and has an aluminum band around the perimeter(the one you see from the exterior). This plastic chassis is mostly used as a scaffolding to hold any extra hardware/accessories(Spen) that do not conduct heat.
The magnalium gives it strength.
The plastic keeps it light.
The aluminum gives it looks.
I can't ask for a better combination.
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I do agree it should hold up nice but if there is aluminum there it's just a thin foil sticker over the plastic frame. I assume you don't have one to see for your self. If you do, just look in the ports and you'll see the white plastic.

mcaleer1 said:
I do agree it should hold up nice but if there is aluminum there it's just a thin foil sticker over the plastic frame. I assume you don't have one to see for your self. If you do, just look in the ports and you'll see the white plastic.
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Lord I really wanted to come here and flame you as a hater... but I actually did look at the phone and your sorta right. The metal band on the outside is really thin (at least at the ports). BUT I don't care much and I don't think it is a screw up on the part of Samsung, I think it is a over statement on the part of the reviewers.
There is a metal structure inside the phone. It is significant compared to prior all plastic phones. It provides strength and rigidity as pointed out by the other poster. The aluminum band on the outside is clearly only decorative. However, I don't recall Samsung saying anywhere that the band on the outside was the only metal on the phone? Kinda reminds me of the wood panels on old station wagons.
I like the look, and its a very solid feeling device. So no matter how you break it down, its not an all plastic phone, and it is made of metal... including metal highlights on the finish.
No drama here.

boufa said:
Lord I really wanted to come here and flame you as a hater... but I actually did look at the phone and your sorta right. The metal band on the outside is really thin (at least at the ports). BUT I don't care much and I don't think it is a screw up on the part of Samsung, I think it is a over statement on the part of the reviewers.
There is a metal structure inside the phone. It is significant compared to prior all plastic phones. It provides strength and rigidity as pointed out by the other poster. The aluminum band on the outside is clearly only decorative. However, I don't recall Samsung saying anywhere that the band on the outside was the only metal on the phone? Kinda reminds me of the wood panels on old station wagons.
I like the look, and its a very solid feeling device. So no matter how you break it down, its not an all plastic phone, and it is made of metal... including metal highlights on the finish.
No drama here.
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I don't doubt the chassis inside the phone is metal and as far as durability goes it definitely won't bend easily, but I just wish they would give up the simulation of materials. I mean they went as far as to simulate the breaks in the metal band like an iPhone. Other than that it is one beast of a phone that I will be able to live with just fine. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one to notice it.

mcaleer1 said:
I don't doubt the chassis inside the phone is metal and as far as durability goes it definitely won't bend easily, but I just wish they would give up the simulation of materials. I mean they went as far as to simulate the breaks in the metal band like an iPhone. Other than that it is one beast of a phone that I will be able to live with just fine. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one to notice it.
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I have read that the gaps in the metal are not a copy of the iPhone, they are there so that the metal band doesn't interfere with the radio signals.... Sounded fishy to me, but I am skilled at little and and expert of none, so who am I to judge.

looks like its cast, and clad in.. whatever the shiny material is..
metal, plastic, rubber, whatever.. I never did see the big deal over "omg its a plastic bezel" vs "omg its a metal bezel"

The phone is forged from the tears of a thousand kittens and merged with unobtanium.

This thread implies the world is full of idiots and Samsung's misleading people on a grand scale. Don't you think at least one professional reviewer would have noticed that the promised metal was plastic? Hell, a gap that has to be measured with calipers became front page news.
From the Note 4 announcement press release...
The Galaxy Note 4 introduces a new sleek and stylish Galaxy design language. The device features a premium metal frame with fluid curvature that seamlessly blends with the device display. The Galaxy Note 4’s 2.5D glass screen, inherited from the Galaxy S3, offers extra protection while perfectly complementing the device’s rich viewing experience. A soft-textured back cover provides incredible comfort that makes it easy to control with one hand. The device not only looks beautiful, but offers a superior grip and enhanced durability.​​
Time to take off the tin foil hats.

You guys are hilarious. Plastic is a better material than metal, it's more durable. If it makes my phone better who cares, at least it won't bend in my pocket.

BarryH_GEG said:
This thread implies the world is full of idiots and Samsung's misleading people on a grand scale. Don't you think at least one professional reviewer would have noticed that the promised metal was plastic? Hell, a gap that has to be measured with calipers became front page news.
From the Note 4 announcement press release...
The Galaxy Note 4 introduces a new sleek and stylish Galaxy design language. The device features a premium metal frame with fluid curvature that seamlessly blends with the device display. The Galaxy Note 4’s 2.5D glass screen, inherited from the Galaxy S3, offers extra protection while perfectly complementing the device’s rich viewing experience. A soft-textured back cover provides incredible comfort that makes it easy to control with one hand. The device not only looks beautiful, but offers a superior grip and enhanced durability.​​
Time to take off the tin foil hats.
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You mean a massive electronics giant such as Samsung wouldn't have an overpaid marketing division that just might embellish on the truth a bit. I got it guys. We'll just call it a "premium metal frame" brilliant! Like I said, it's a fantastic phone but the outermost bezel is in no way anything more than aluminum foil and paint.

mcaleer1 said:
You mean a massive electronics giant such as Samsung wouldn't have an overpaid marketing division that just might embellish on the truth a bit. .
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Saying it's metal when it's not isn't an embellishment, it's misrepresentation. Saying it's premium is an embellishment.

BarryH_GEG said:
Saying it's metal when it's not isn't an embellishment, it's misrepresentation. Saying it's premium is an embellishment.
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Premium is an opinion word and not verifiable either way.. and yes, it DOES have a metal frame. Have you ever seen the phone?!?!? The metal band around the outside might be what they consider the frame... and its there. The significant metal framework might be the frame they are talking about (and I bet it is) and its definitely there. What is this conversation even about?!?! There is metal in and around the phone. Just like they said. If you want more, then go get yourself the aluminium pop can called the iPhone and be happy, then go bend it in half in your pocket. Personally, this phone is rock solid compared to my Note 2.

You know what... I definitely see what the OP is talking about. The metal sides look to be about as thin as a piece of paper. Not that I really care that much... I'm putting a plastic case on it anyways but it's an interesting observation

Damn!
Sadly enough it's true, and a bit disappointing as well. If you look really closely what appears to be antenna breaks are just where they interrupted the faux machine cut which now just looks to be a metalized paint job to make it look like that. This is specially noticeable around where the S Pen enters the phone. Still love my phone but why does Samsung try to fools us like this and then sell it like it is a premium metal! Should of told everyone it is metalized plastic frame!

boufa said:
Have you ever seen the phone?!?!?
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I own it . Given the choice between chrome-look ripply plastic made to poorly resemble a book edge (Note 3) and a beveled partial metal bezel with not even the slightest of gaps where metal and plastic meet (Note 4) I choose the latter. Option 3, the one people here are looking for, seems to be a 100% polished metal bezel. Unless I missed a meeting that option's not available. Whatever the definition of "premium," the Note 4's a hell of a lot closer than the Samsung phones that preceded it (except the Alpha which uses the same design). I'm a glass half full kind of guy. I celebrate what I have rather than lament what I don't. To each their own.

mcaleer1 said:
I do agree it should hold up nice but if there is aluminum there it's just a thin foil sticker over the plastic frame. I assume you don't have one to see for your self. If you do, just look in the ports and you'll see the white plastic.
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I don't disagree with anything you said, and know exactly what you're talking about because I've seen what you're saying on a display model(mine should be here on monday). But, I believe it looks like that because of a miix of how the the frame is attached to the plastic, and the quality of paint used on the trim and plastic. Have you noticed what appears to be a small patch underneath the paint where the white line of plastic joins the aluminum sections around the band? Each section has a patch from every Note 4 I looked at. I love the note 4, but I've already spotted many quality issues with it. If I wanted a top-notch quality phone, build-wise, I would look at the iPhone, but in the grand scheme of things, the Note 4 is perfect for me regardless of its build quality flaws. Anyways, speaking of thin aluminum...the iPhone 6!

iggibar said:
I don't disagree with anything you said, and know exactly what you're talking about because I've seen what you're saying on a display model(mine should be here on monday). But, I believe it looks like that because of a miix of how the the frame is attached to the plastic, and the quality of paint used on the trim and plastic. Have you noticed what appears to be a small patch underneath the paint where the white line of plastic joins the aluminum sections around the band? Each section has a patch from every Note 4 I looked at. I love the note 4, but I've already spotted many quality issues with it. If I wanted a top-notch quality phone, build-wise, I would look at the iPhone, but in the grand scheme of things, the Note 4 is perfect for me regardless of its build quality flaws. Anyways, speaking of thin aluminum...the iPhone 6!
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Ya I see that raised section between the bars as well. After looking much closer it looks like some sections of the frame may be in fact aluminum. Possibly they used a similar method to mold plastic with aluminum as HTC did with the ONE M7 and then painted over everything to make it look like one piece. I guess we won't know until someone really dissects this thing. In the mean time I'm really enjoying this beast from the fantastic camera to the amazing screen quality.

Evutec S-series case

TL;DR: buy if you want more grip on the phone and don't mind minimal protection, don't expect a premium product as it's average at best.
This may or may not be the case for you. The case is extremely cool looking with the carbon weave under a smoked layer of resin that feels somewhat rubbery if you ever had a oneplus "karbon" case you'll know the texture its grippy but not so much that it grabs onto lint and anything else that may be residing in your pocket. It's also extremely thin, I didn't measure it but their claims of being less than 1mm thick seem very true there isn't much bulk added to the phone nor weight. Both pieces of the case comes with semi sticky pads (more like post it note sticky not 3m double sided tape) on them to keep it planted onto the device which definitely helps it stay put unlike the issues some experienced with other cases, it does however make the phone difficult to open since the case covers the beveled edges and makes them pretty flat with the inner screen.
Now onto the negatives of which there are a few, the biggest issue and the one that ruined the case for me isthe fact that it doesn't cover the bottom of the chin leaving everything exposed, and worse yet the piece that covers the front of the chin seems like it'd be perfect to trap dirt under and grind it into that gorgeous aluminum. Normally I avoid cases that don't offer bottom protection like that but in the case of Evutec there's almost no indication in the product photos of the case not covering the chin. My other issue is with the quality of the case, there's sharp edges all around the case, especially where the chin curves out, material is also very uneven and the curves don't match up from side to side. Overall I'd say it's a $10-$15 case not a whopping $60 in terms of the quality.
Note: the red vinyl on the phone under case wasn't on it when I initially got the case and it fit the same with or without vinyl.

Not that there a lot of options, but the Evutec is far better than the Case-Mate. I like that the Evutec has the double-sided tape, the case stays on.

beaker77 said:
Not that there a lot of options, but the Evutec is far better than the Case-Mate. I like that the Evutec has the double-sided tape, the case stays on.
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It's extremely overpriced for something that doesn't even cover the bottom of the phone, kinda disappointing since their cases for other phones are very high quality at a third of the price of this.

sanyokt4j said:
It's extremely overpriced for something that doesn't even cover the bottom of the phone, kinda disappointing since their cases for other phones are very high quality at a third of the price of this.
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Just noticed the hinge and chin can be damaged if dropped because of lack of protection. I hope we get more options soon.